Gas chromatographic determination of menthol in mentholated sweets and panmasala.

Menthol, along with other flavouring matters, was steam distilled, and the distillate was extracted with chloroform. The dry chloroform extract was then analysed by gas chromatography, the menthol content being calculated from the area under the curve using a reference standard. Recovery of the menthol was 100%. Some commercial mentholated sweets and panmasala (a mixture of betel nut, sugar and flavourings, etc. used for chewing in India) had menthol contents of 0.20-0.26 and 0.12-0.62%, resp.